Gov. Deval Patrick Says He Won't Enter 2016 Presidential Race
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS) -- Outgoing Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick told NBC's "Meet the Press" Host Chuck Todd Sunday he will not be running for president in 2016.
"I've thought about it, but no, I can't get ready for 2016," Patrick said during the interview. "I've felt it's been two really challenging and fun terms, but I didn't run for the job to get another job. I ran to do this job."
However, he cautioned against Democrats backing Hillary Clinton as the "inevitable" presidential nominee for the upcoming elections.
"I think the narrative that it's inevitable is off-putting to regular voters," Patrick said.
"The American people want, and ought to want, their candidates to sweat for the job, to actually make a case for why they're the right person at the right time," he added.
Patrick addressed a number of issues during his interview Sunday, including his opinion on the grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson in the death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown.
Patrick said he "wanted to see an indictment."
"Mostly because I think a trial and the transparency of a trial would be good for the community," Patrick said.
Patrick said he understood President Barack Obama's decision to tread lightly on sensitive race issues, including Ferguson, and hearkened on his own tenure as the first black governor of Massachusetts. He recalled a time when he was called to respond to a gang shooting during his tenure.
"Governors aren't normally expected to come to street crime scenes," he said.
"The expectations of me by virtue of being a black elected official were different. And I had to learn that, and ultimately I did go out," Patrick said.
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